Baku, December 23, AZERTAC

Azerbaijan's Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, received a delegation led by Army General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, Commander of the Turkish Land Forces, the Ministry of Defense reported to AZERTAC.

During their visit, the Turkish delegation paid respects to the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, and the prominent ophthalmologist and academician, Zarifa Aliyeva, at the Alley of Honors. They also visited the Alley of Martyrs and the Turkish Martyrs’ Cemetery to honor their memory.

Colonel General Zakir Hasanov extended a warm welcome to the Turkish guests and expressed his pleasure at their visit to Azerbaijan. He highlighted the deep historical and cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, emphasizing that bilateral cooperation is strong across all fields, including the military. The Minister also underscored the importance of fully implementing the Shusha Declaration, signed in the spirit of the close and friendly relations between the leaders of the two fraternal nations.

The Minister stressed the role of the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Türkiye in promoting regional peace and stability.

Army General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and hospitality, noting that the consistent organization of mutual visits and meetings reflects the unshakable friendship and fraternal bonds between the two nations. He emphasized that the Azerbaijani-Turkish High-Level Military Dialogue plays a significant role in enhancing interoperability between the two armed forces.

The meeting included a thorough exchange of views on advancing cooperation in the military and military-educational sectors, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

Following this, First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev, held a meeting with the Turkish delegation. The meeting, held at the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, focused on the importance of joint exercises to enhance military professionalism and facilitate the exchange of experience. Discussions also addressed the current state of bilateral military cooperation and other relevant issues.

Later, a meeting was held with Colonel General Bakhtiyar Ersay, Adviser to the Minister of Defense. During this meeting, a comprehensive exchange of views took place on measures to adapt the Azerbaijan Army to the model of the Turkish Armed Forces.